German Association of the Automotive Industry

The German carmaker association VDA says the share of diesel cars has to rise again in Germany in order to meet the country’s climate targets. While the shift to electric vehicles was well on its way, “the combustion engine will still be needed for some time to come,” VDA head Bernhard Mattes said at the association’s annual press conference in Berlin. Thanks to their lower carbon emissions compared to petrol engines, diesel engines would play a key role in the transition to low-carbon mobility. At the same time “modern diesel cars are an answer to the question of nitrogen oxide (NOx),” which is responsible for air pollution in many cities and is caused especially by older diesel cars, the VDA head said.